Collections and Databases

Databases, online services and collections of online and print materials made available to library staff and the public by the Wisconsin Valley Library Services. A library card may be required for access.

Get the facts about the Affordable Care Act with educational fact sheets from AARP’s department of Education & Outreach. Included are printable publications about the basics, the law and specific populations, provisions of the law, the law and Medicare, and information for small businesses. See also: AARP Health Insurance home page.

This page collects resources on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) selected by WVLS staff for the consideration of patrons and library staff who want to learn more about this law, its effects and how to participate.

Access to various sources of genealogical data, including: birth, death and marriage records; U.S. census and immigration data; military service rosters, and more! Access is available from computers at WVLS-member libraries only.

Badgerlink is a program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction that provides Wisconsin residents access to electronic information online. It includes many of the databases offered by public libraries throughout the state.

Business Source Premier is the industry’s most popular business research database, featuring the full text for more than 2,200 journals. Full text is provided back to 1965, and searchable cited references back to 1998.

Central Wisconsin Digitization Project (CWDP) is a consortium of libraries, historical societies, genealogical societies and museums committed to preserving and disseminating the history of Marathon and Lincoln Counties through the digitization of original sources and artifacts and their subsequent publication on the internet. Includes the collections “Railroads of Lincoln and Marathon Counties” and “Libraries and Schools in Marathon and Lincoln Counties.”

Upon request, WVLS staff will help area library personnel develop grant proposals to extend and improve their local library services. WVLS will work with local library staff to develop the elements which the grant should contain to be competitive, and will proofread and edit proposals which have been written by member library personnel. In other situations, WVLS staff members often submit grant proposals which benefit all member libraries. Contact us for details.

The single-most comprehensive resource for consumer-oriented health content. It is designed to support the information needs of patients, and to foster an overall understanding of health-related topics. CHC provides content covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine.

Consumer Reports is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers by testing a wide variety of products and publishing comprehensive reviews. This database provides a way to search within issues of Consumer Reports and view them online in PDF format.

Provides access to census records and books and periodicals relevant to genealogical research. Includes all current U.S. Federal Census records, over 25,000 family and local histories, and access to PERSI (PERiodical Source Index) with over 1.6 million genealogy and local history articles.

Full-text content from leading home improvement magazines and videos of popular home repair projects. All of the content is organized in a powerful, easy-to-use manner so that users can quickly gain the information they need.

Over 100 makerspace kits and storykits are available for WVLS, IFLS, and K-12 libraries. Use kits during exisiting programs like Lego Club, city festivals, or during outreach efforts to incorporate STEM/STEAM activites. Build programs around makerpsace kits with local volunteers.

Offers assistance in providing routine maintenance (tune-ups, brake service, etc.) as well as extensive repairs (engine and transmission disassembly) and allows users to search by product type, brand, model/engine type, specific area of model/engine type, and model numbers. PDF full text is available for all documents.

An easy-to-use website that adds a multimedia dimension to the reading experiences of children’s and young adult books. Includes thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K–12 environment, with every resource selected to encourage the integration of multimedia author and book materials into reading and library activities.

A way for Wisconsin’s library staff and patrons to discover and share materials through interlibrary loan. This service is a project of Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning (RL&LL), Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Funding support comes from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Further details about interlibrary loan may be found on the WVLS Interlibrary Loan webpage.

Wisconsin Newspapers Digital Research Site is a service of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association that provides access to 235 daily and weekly Wisconsin newspapers from 2005 to 60 days ago. Each newspaper issue is included in its entirety in a searchable PDF format. This service is available in libraries and by the entry of a Wisconsin library card number. It is not available via IP address authentication as are other BadgerLink resources.

Borrow a variety of e-books, audio books, music and videos! These items may be downloaded and transferred to e-readers, tablets, smart phones, mp3 players or computers. Formerly known as “OverDrive” and “WPLC Digital Download Center,” this collection is managed by the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium.